"Hello, dear viewers! We are now broadcasting the 12th round of the 2017-18 Premier League season, featuring Chelsea versus Manchester United!"
The voice of Zhan Jun, familiar and electrifying to millions of fans across China, cut through the anticipation hanging over the LeSports broadcast.
The screen displayed the panoramic view of Stamford Bridge, bathed in the cold, sharp light of a London winter evening.
"Let me introduce the starting lineups for both teams!"
"Chelsea, wearing their iconic blue home kit and attacking from left to right, have deployed a 3-4-1-2 formation. Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois."
"Among them, Cesar Azpilicueta and N'Golo Kante have returned from injury, bolstering Chelsea's defense and significantly strengthening their midfield engine room."
"However," Zhan Jun paused for effect, circling a name on his tactical screen, "Antonio Conte didn't simply replace Bakayoko or Fabregas with Kante. Instead, he included all three in the starting lineup, suggesting a special tactical arrangement—perhaps a bid to suffocate the midfield."
Zhan Jun couldn't quite figure out the full reasoning behind this heavy midfield pivot yet, so he shifted the topic to Chelsea's recent form, which was the elephant in the room.
"Due to a poor start to the new season, the defending champions are already 9 points behind the league leaders. This is hard to accept for the Blues. If they fail to defeat Manchester United in this match, they can essentially be ruled out of the title race before Christmas."
"Ah, the camera has panned to Roman Abramovich in the executive box. He's here to oversee the match personally." Zhan Jun chuckled dryly. "I'm sure everyone is familiar with this scene. Before Mourinho left Chelsea the second time, Abramovich did the same thing. The 'Owner's Watch'."
"History often repeats itself. Conte must understand that if he fails to secure a win against Manchester United today, his tenure at Chelsea could be entering its final chapter."
"Now, let's look at Manchester United's starting lineup. José Mourinho has opted to mirror the opposition with a 3-4-1-2 formation. Goalkeeper: David De Gea..."
"After a full season of tactical analysis, Premier League teams have discovered that using a three-back formation against another three-back system often yields the best defensive stability—it man-marks the danger zones."
"That's why most managers choose this 'standard answer' when facing Conte's Chelsea. It's a game of chess." Zhan Jun couldn't help but laugh at this point. "Mourinho is nothing if not pragmatic."
"However, Mourinho has made a slight, fascinating adjustment by pairing Ling and Lukaku as the two strikers, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan playing as the attacking midfielder in the hole."
"This is an unprecedented experiment. Speed and power. I believe the two can develop good chemistry. I hope they'll use that amusing musketeer celebration again today!"
"Additionally, Manchester United's key player, Paul Pogba, has returned to the starting lineup in place of Herrera. His comeback will significantly boost United's attacking prowess and creativity from deep."
"By the way, today marks Nemanja Matic's first return to Stamford Bridge since his transfer to Manchester United. Listen to those boos... The Bridge has not forgiven him."
"So, there are plenty of highlights to look forward to in this match!"
...
The number of online viewers in the LeSports live stream had already exceeded 7 million.
In just two short months, Chinese fans had developed the habit of watching a Manchester United match every week, even if it meant going to work the next day with panda eyes.
As commentator He Wei once famously said, "Football embodies our heroic dreams in ordinary life!"
Perhaps everyone has imagined themselves standing on the world's top stage, hearing the roar of the crowd, and creating stories with star players.
Watching Jeremy Ling was watching that dream manifest.
As the lineups flashed on screens from Beijing to Shanghai, the comments section exploded.
[User: BlueMoonRising]: "Manchester City is facing Leicester City, probably another big win. Pep's machine doesn't stop."
[User: RedDevil_CN]: "City really has the aura of a champion team right now, while United can only struggle to chase from behind. But today is a six-pointer!"
[User: TacticalGenius]: "Look at the Chelsea fans booing Mourinho and Matic on the sidelines. I think it's really unfair to treat a meritorious coach and player like that! He won them three titles!"
[User: Conte_In]: "Exactly! I don't believe Conte wouldn't feel something watching this. He also led Chelsea to win titles—will he be mocked when he returns to Stamford Bridge in the future? It's a ruthless club."
[User: Interista_ForLife]: "We Inter Milan fans are more sentimental. Every time Mourinho comes to San Siro, we welcome him with applause! Family is family."
[User: Gooner_Tears]: "Because Italian clubs have tradition. Look at Arsenal—their situation is similar, with fans relentlessly criticizing Wenger. No respect these days."
[User: Ling_Fan_Club]: "Hopefully Ling can continue his league scoring streak—he already has 9 goals! Double digits before December would be insane."
[User: GK_Union]: "I just realized this match is also a battle for the world's best goalkeeper between Courtois and De Gea! The two titans!"
[User: German_Wall]: "Buffon and Neuer: ??? Am I a joke to you?"
....
By this point, the match at Stamford Bridge had been underway for several minutes.
The rain was beginning to fall, slicking up the surface, making the ball zip.
Chelsea quickly demonstrated their frontcourt explosion capability.
Cesc Fabregas, operating with the freedom provided by the Kante-Bakayoko double pivot, received the ball near the center circle.
He didn't look up; he didn't need to.
He suddenly launched a raking long pass to the left flank.
Eden Hazard trapped the ball dead.
Despite his relatively slight build, his physical dueling ability and low center of gravity were world-class.
He forcefully held off Antonio Valencia to control the ball, followed up with a body feint that sent the Ecuadorian leaning the wrong way, executed a brilliant breakthrough, and dribbled into the penalty area.
"Oh!"
"Hazard!!!"
Chelsea fans excitedly started a roar, rising to their feet in a wave, expressing their adoration for their Belgian king.
They could almost see the ball hitting the back of the net.
Surprisingly, it wasn't a defender who intervened.
Paul Pogba had tracked back.
He defended actively and, alongside Eric Bailly, managed to muscle Hazard off the ball and win possession.
Every time Pogba returns from injury, he becomes very disciplined for the first few games, strictly following the coach's instructions to "do a job."
But everyone knew it usually didn't take long for him to revert to his old, expressive self.
As for whether he can play as a defensive midfielder? With his physical attributes and technique, he is certainly capable and could perform very well, but his typical showman personality always makes him want to "show off" rather than sit deep.
After making the interception, Pogba didn't just clear it.
He deftly feinted to evade Fabregas's attempt to win the ball back, spun, and quickly passed to Valencia on the wing.
Before the match, Mourinho had already devised a plan to exploit the slower footwork of Chelsea's wing-back, Marcos Alonso, by having Valencia use his raw speed to overpower him.
So Valencia accelerated in his signature style—head down, chest out.
He drove to the byline, leaving Alonso trailing, and delivered a whipped cross.
Smack!
With a crisp sound, the ball spun downward toward the penalty spot. It was a dangerous, curling delivery.
Romelu Lukaku and Jeremy Ling charged into the box from outside, executing a classic "Two-Pronged Attack."
Among Chelsea's three starting defenders—Azpilicueta, Christensen, and Cahill—only Cahill possessed elite aerial dominance.
The ball's trajectory evaded Cahill, allowing Lukaku to completely overpower the younger Andreas Christensen.
The "Rhino" didn't head for goal; he turned his head and smartly flicked the ball toward the far post, changing the point of attack.
Meanwhile, Ling had peeled off Azpilicueta.
Fighting through the Spaniard's physical interference, he surged forward and met the flick-on.
He powered a header toward the top corner, against the movement of the keeper.
"A quality header!" Martin Tyler screamed. "Oh my—COURTOIS!"
Thibaut Courtois, the 6'7" giant, reacted with terrifying speed.
He extended his long frame, his arm shooting up like a telescopic pole.
He clawed the ball away mere inches from the line, making a crucial save at the last possible moment!
"Undoubtedly a world-class goalkeeper's performance! That reach is inhuman!"
Ling landed on his feet, clutching his head in frustration, annoyed at missing such a golden scoring opportunity.
It was the perfect move.
ut he quickly regained his composure.
He turned to Lukaku, giving him a thumbs-up. "Great pass, Rom! Next time, I'll make sure to score!"
"Maybe you didn't shout 'give and go'—missing that essential pre-goal ritual," Lukaku joked, shrugging helplessly, though his eyes showed appreciation for Ling's run.
Ling felt speechless.
He glanced at Courtois, who was celebrating the save with a clenched fist and a scream.
Inexplicably, a thought crossed his mind involving Kevin De Bruyne.
'Ever since those two brothers left that toxic woman, their overall abilities seem to have improved significantly,' Ling mused.
'It seems that old saying really holds true. With no woman on your mind, your football skills naturally soar!'
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